1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to firing range targets, and more particularly, to devices used to indicate that a marksman has fired a bullet or other round of ammunition that has struck a target.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cardboard targets are commonly used at firing ranges for training persons in the use of firearms. Such targets are also used at military and police firing ranges to allow soldiers and police officers to maintain and improve their marksmanship skills.
When the target is at a significant distance from the marksman, it is difficult for the marksman to determine whether a shot that he or she has fired has hit the target. Accordingly, an observer must either be stationed close to the target or be provided with binoculars to advise the marksman of his or her progress.
Various signalling devices are known in the art for indicating to a marksman whether a target has been hit. For example, Swiss Patent No. 594,227 discloses a firing practice target which couples an acoustic converter to the target to sense sound waves propagated within the target. An amplifier is used to amplify the signal produced by the acoustic converter for actuating an optical display when the target is hit.
Swiss Patent No. 663,840 discloses a shooting gallery target in a form of a housing having an opening covered by a target. A bullet passing through the paper target is deflected by a sheet of bullet-proof glass and strikes an electronic sensor to illuminate a light positioned behind the target.
Swiss Patent No. 365,637 discloses a target including an indicator circuit controlled by moveable switching elements under the effect of a bullet impact.
West German Patent No. 27 44 415 discloses a firing practice target having a light curtain behind a target hole. The light curtain generates a switching pulse when a bullet passes through the curtain. The firing practice target can be linked to an electronic control and display system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,621 issued to Knight et al. discloses a complex, computerized firing range including transducers located adjacent the target area for detecting airborne shock waves from supersonic projectiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,587,715 issued to Fairchild et al. discloses an impact detection mechanism used within a target airplane for aircraft gunnery training. When a bullet hits an armor plate, light signal lamps located on the outside of the target plane are illuminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,015 issued to Edrich discloses a target device having a shock sensitive microphone mounted upon the target for transmitting a shock wave to the microphone. The signal generated by the microphone is amplified and used to operate a counting device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,510 issued to Ohlund et al. discloses an apparatus for generating a simulated smoke signal for gunnery target practice. The disclosed apparatus generates a visible signal in the nature of a simulated smoke puff to indicate that a gunner has shot a target.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,330 issued to Scharer discloses a target for a rifle range including a mounting frame internally equipped with electroacoustic sensors to serve as an impact detecting chamber. The sensors are connected by wires to an amplifier leading to an evaluator for visually indicating the occurrence of a hit.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,861,141 issued to De Brocke discloses an impact actuated device for closing an electric circuit of a stroboscopic light based upon the impact of an action to be photographed.
While the devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents serve to provide a visual indication that a target has been hit, such devices trigger the visual indicator essentially immediately after the bullet hits the target. However, most firearms produce a recoil as a reaction to the firing of the bullet, and the recoil often causes the marksman to temporarily lose focus of the target area. Consequently, the marksman may be unable to detect activation of the visual indicator until after the visual indicator has been extinguished.
As indicated above, devices have been disclosed wherein sensors detect the impact or passage of a bullet. Occasionally, a bullet may strike the sensor or wires connecting the sensor to related circuitry. If the sensor or connecting wires are damaged by the impact of the bullet, the target device may stop functioning. However, target devices of the type disclosed above do not warn a marksman that the sensors or related wiring have been damaged.
Many different types of targets may be used at various firing ranges. Moreover, even as to a particular type of target, such targets rapidly disintegrate from repeated penetration by bullets and must be changed. However, many of the impact sensors of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned patents are either embedded within the target or are not easily removed therefrom.
Many of the target devices disclosed in the above-mentioned patents require a 110 volt alternating current power supply for proper operation. While such a power requirement may be met at a permanently based firing range without difficulty, such a requirement precludes the use of such target devices out in the field.
In addition, target devices may be used with a wide range of firearms wherein the bullets striking the target may have a wide range of energies. Further, such a target device must be capable of withstanding strong winds without falsely signaling target hits.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ballistic impact indicator for alerting a marksman that a bullet fired by the marksman has hit a desired target, wherein the visual indication of impact is delayed sufficiently to permit the marksman to recover from the effects of recoil and to refocus upon the target area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a ballistic impact indicator wherein the sensor may be quickly and easily attached to a wide variety of commonly used target boards.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a ballistic impact indicator which permits the user to select the amount of delay between the striking of the target and the activation of the visual indication.
It is yet another object of the present invention to use a signaling device which can be spotted from a great distance away from the target.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a ballistic impact indicator which is portable and which is easy to assembly and operate in the field.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a ballistic impact indicator which readily alerts the user when a bullet has struck and damaged either the impact sensor or the cable coupling the impact sensor to the detection circuitry.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a ballistic impact indicator wherein the sensitivity of the impact sensor is readily adjustable in the field to account for different types of weapons producing different bullet energies and to readily adjust for varying wind conditions to avoid false triggering due to wind gusts.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.